Testimonials are basically statements from a person or group that provides social proof of a product or service from your business. They’re powerful because they’re personal, and they’ve worked for hundreds of years to get people to connect with and gain trust. There are many types of testimonials, as well as many ways to get and use them.
How to Get Testimonials
There are two primary ways to get testimonials from clients, customers, peers, and even groups: organically or through solicitation.
Organically
Through social media, testimonials come on every platform every time someone posts on your page or wall, comments on your video or blog, or mentions you publicly on their own wall or page. You may also have a client or customer who reaches out to you via email and makes a positive statement, and you’re likely to find online public reviews of your product or service on Google, Yelp, Amazon, and other sites that have the option for public feedback.
These are all organic testimonials you received from your audience that you didn’t ask them to give you.
Through Solicitation
Yes, you can (and you should) ask for feedback reviews on products, services, customer service experiences, and more. What the customer or client communicates in response is a testimonial. You can also ask groups, peers, and experts to review your product, perhaps with a free sample or discount. After all, high profile reviewers need to keep reviewing.
Types of Testimonials to Use
- Quotes: whether organic or solicited, quotes are still the standard for testimonials.
- Social Media Posts: these are likely to happen organically, but you can subtly solicit them by asking your audience a question on your platform.
- Interviews: clients and customers often feel special if you choose to interview them.
- Success Stories: from weight loss to getting a carpet stain out, people love to hear stories of success.
- Authority or Influencer: the more well-known the spokesman, the better. There’s a reason why some presidents were once actors!
- Videos: a lot of YouTubers review products on their own, and you can solicit reviews.
- Case Studies: depending on the product or service, some academic or business peers are eager to participate in case studies. Even a micro-level case study will hold some merit with your audience.
- Pictures: such as customers who post themselves wearing or using a product.
Testimonials can provide great insight regarding your products and/or services. For additional information on testimonial power and usage, contact us today.